Town hall discussion being held by QCOSS as Townsville homelessness crisis worsens

Townsville has been labelled the homeless capital of Queensland, with experts holding crisis talks as more residents are forced to use food vouchers and Afterpay just to put food on the table.

Townsville has become the ‘epicentre’ of the homeless crisis in Queensland. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NcaNewsWire

Townsville has been labelled the ‘epicentre’ of Queensland’s regional homelessness crisis with experts and welfare agencies meeting discuss solutions for the dire situation.

The Queensland Council of Social Service is holding a town hall discussion in Townsville, with the unprecedented demand for support expected to be high on the agenda.
With many individuals and families resorting to using Afterpay and Zip Pay for vital groceries and rent and others living off food vouchers, QCOSS chief executive Aimee McVeigh said that people are being pushed to the brink, including working families.

“What we are seeing is a change in the characteristics of the people who need support,” she said.

“It’s not just people on income support or who are unemployed and struggling, we hear regularly about families where both parents work and they are coming to these services asking for food relief.”

Friday’s town hall discussion held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor is the first of a series to be held across the state, providing QCOSS with first hand experiences from those working in local community services.

“We have a packed house booked for our Townsville meeting,” Ms McVeigh said.

“It is vital that we meet with locals who are on the ground, seeing these people who are struggling everyday.”
Following the Town Halls across the state, QCOSS plans to pinpoint the issues that need to prioritised in the sector.

QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms McVeigh described Townsville as the epicentre of homelessness in the regions and added that for many families in Townsville wages were used to pay rent, with little to nothing left over.

“It makes sense that those working families are turning up on the doors of those services needing cost of living relief and support,” Ms McVeigh said.

“We are in the midst of a dual cost of living and housing crisis and this is seeing our front line critical services at capacity.”

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows almost 4,500 people at risk of homelessness sought help from Specialist Homelessness Services in Townsville last financial year, the second-highest number of any local government area in Queensland after Brisbane.

More than 1500 of those were children and teenagers.

Act for Kids executive director of service, strategy and growth Tom McIntyre said distressed families were reaching out to the organisation for help.

“Parents are worried that if they reach out for help, their children could be taken away because cost of living pressures have forced them to sleep in their cars or tents,” he said.

“Many First Nations children are being removed from their parents for neglect, which does not necessarily arise from poor parenting, but comes from families living in poverty.”

Ms McVeigh said housing was a basic human right and more needs to be done for those at risk.
“The pressure families are under is particularly hard to fathom when contrasted with the record surplus achieved in last year’s state budget,” she said.

“That is why QCOSS is leading the Make Queensland Fair campaign, because every single Queenslander has a right to enjoy that prosperity, beginning with the basic rights of access to services, safe housing, and affordable energy prices.”

Originally published as Town hall discussion being held by QCOSS as Townsville homelessness crisis worsens